"Virat Kohli didn't like Ambati Rayudu, cut him from 2019 World Cup squad," says Robin Uthappa

Virat Kohli was India’s second highest run scorer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

It has been a tough few months for star Indian batter Virat Kohli. The 36-year-old has struggled for form in red-ball cricket, leading fans and former cricketers to speculate about his future with the national side.

Recently, Robin Uthappa’s comments on ‘Lallantop’ about Kohli’s tenure as the Indian captain have taken attention. Uthappa made a remark about in the famous axing of Ambati Rayudu from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 squad, opining that Kohli dropped the players whom he “didn’t like”.

Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, chief selector MSK Prasad made headlines for snubbing Rayudu and choosing Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar, citing his “3-D” all-round abilities as a key asset for the Indian team in England. Rayudu then fueled the controversy by mocking the selection committee on social media.

India were eventually knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals against New Zealand, following a batting collapse that saw the team lose half its side before reaching the 100-run mark.

Robin Uthappa on Virat Kohli’s apparent dislike for Ambati Rayudu

In an interview with Lallantop, Uthappa made a bold claim, stating that during Kohli’s captaincy, anyone disliked by the captain was excluded from the team. He cited Rayudu’s omission from the 2019 World Cup squad as an example.

Uthappa said, “If he (Virat Kohli) didn’t like anyone, he didn’t feel someone is good, then they were cut. (Ambati) Rayudu is the prime example. You feel bad. Everybody has preferences, I agree but you cannot close the door on a player after taking him to the cusp.“

He added that Rayudu had everything in place for the World Cup, but the door was closed on him at the last minute. Uthappa called Rayudu’s snub unfair.

He added, “He had World Cup clothes, World Cup kit bag, everything was there at his home. A player would be thinking that he is going to the World Cup. But you shut the door on him. That wasn’t fair according to me.“

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